Boiler-water-glass shield.



G. H. SARGENT & A. G. HOLLINGSHBAD.

BOILER WATER GLASS SHIELD.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1. 1909.

974,299. Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Tn! NORRIS Flrzns cm, wuumarolv, n. c.

UNITED STATES grnnr OFFICE.

GEORGE H. SARGENT AND ARTHUR Gr. HOLLINGSHEAD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOILER-WATER-GLASS SHIELD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that We, GEORGE H. SARGENT and ARTHUR G. HoLIJNosHEAn,citizens of the United States, both residing at Chicago,

- for use over water glass or gage tubes of locomotive boilers to shieldthe engineer and fireman from the flying fragments of glass and theescaping hot water and steam in case the water glass accidentally breakswhen steam pressure is in the boiler.

One object of this invention is to provide a practically unbreakabletransparent shield adapted to fit partially around the water tube toprotect the occupants of the engine cab and to shut out the drafts ofcold air from the gage tube and hold the boiler heat.

In one embodiment of the invention the shield or protector is made ofheavy glass internally reinforced with metal strands so as not toobstruct the view of the water level in the boiler glass, such shieldbeing hollow and open or cut away at one side to permit its readyapplication over the glass without disturbing the latter. Water gfassesor gage tubes of this character ordinarily have at each end a hexagonalor angular nut holding them in proper position and forming parts ofstuffing boxes, and in such cases our improved shield is detachably heldin position over the water glass by means of spring clips engaging andelasping the sides of such nuts. Inasmuch, however, as these nuts 1 mayvary in position and in relation one to the other, the spring clips areadjustable relative to the shield, whereby regardless of the exactpositions of the nuts the shield or protector may be placed squarelyover the glass in such position as to adequately protect those presentin the engine cab. Ordinarily such a shield is made in curved form oftempered plate glass in which woven soft wire is cast, such shieldpossessing adequate strength for the purpose intended and protecting thewater glass from drafts and accidental blows.

A preferred and desirable embodiment of our invention has beenillustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, and throughout the various views of which like referencecharacters re fer to the same parts.

In this drawingFigure l is a face view or elevation of one of ourprotectors or shields ap lied to a water glass; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of the appliance shown in Fig. 1, certain parts bein leftunsectioned; Fig. 3 is an end view 0 our improved shield illustrated onan enlarged scale; Fig. 4. is an enlarged horizontal section on line 1-4of Figs. 1 and 2, the parts being viewed in the direction indicated bythe arrows; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the reinforcedglass rotector.

By reference to the drawings it wi 1 be noted that the usual water glassor gage tube 10 is mounted in the ordinary manner in connection with topand bottom valves 11 and 12, the adjacent extensions 13 and 14 of whichare supplied with portions of packin 15 forming parts of stufling boxesand he d in tight connection with the exterior surface of the water tubebya pair of hexagonal nuts 16, 16 internally threaded and engaging theexterior threads of the shanks 17 of the valves. This is the usual andordinary manner of mounting and supporting such water glasses andfurther description thereof appears to be unnecessary. If such a waterglass accidentally breaks the parts or fragments thereof are widelyscattered and they together with the hot water and escaping steam arelikely to cause serious injury to any persons near the same. Ourimproved device is intended to shield the engineer and fireman andothers present in the engine cab from such disastrous results.

The main body 18 of the shield is made of heavy tempered plate glasswhich is reinforced by having'cast thereln woven soft steel wire whichrenders the glass practically unbreakable and the parts of which areheld together even when broken, the shield being at all timestransparent and in no way obstructing the view of the water level 1n thetube which it protects. In the present instance the glassis indicated asbeing reinforced by wire netting 19 although the form of suchreinforcement and its employment or absence is not material to theinvention, that is, does not constitute an essential part thereof. Theshield 18 is of curved form, as shown in Fig. 5, is hollow, and is openor cut away at one side to permit its application over the tube 10. Ametallic head 20 with a comparatively small shield-overlapping flange 21is mounted on either end of the glass, the pair of heads being heldthereto and in proper relation by a plurality of externally bentthreaded wires or rods 22, the ends of which pass through apertures inthe two heads and have associated therewith the usual nuts 23. Each headhas a flat plate portion 24: overlying the end of the glass shield orprotector 18, such plate part being centrally recessed at 25 for theaccommodation of the water glass or gage tube 10. Each head has anoutwardly extended external flange 26 to the outer face of a centralthickened portion of which is riveted at 28 the middle of asubstantially U-shaped curved leaf spring 29 having diverging ends 30,30, the rivet 28 passing through a slot 31 in the spring.

An improved shield and protector of this character is readily and easilyapplied to the water glass by merely forcing the spring clips 29 overthe hexagonal or other angular nuts 16, the springs engaging a pluralityof flat surfaces of the latter, as indicated in Fig. 4. The curvedflanges or ribs 26 also;

strike against these nuts and are held thereto by the springs. Durinsuch application the gage tube 10 is received in the interior of theglass protector or shield 18 due to one side of the latter being open,as is clearly indicated. The two hexagonal nuts at the top and bottom ofthe water glass may not be in exactly the same angular position and maynot hold the protector exactly in front of the gage glass but the formermay be readily brought tosuch position'by turning the same relative tothe holding spring clips 29, such turning being permitted by the rivetand slot connections 28 and 31. The rivets 28, however, hold the springsufliciently tight so that this turning can not take placeunintentionally, and after the shield has been once rotated or shiftedinto proper positionit will maintain such position due to the frictionbetween the parts. A shield or bracket of this-kind can therefore bereadily attached to and detached from the ordinary forms of waterglasses or gage tubes and because of their transparency and thestructure employed will not obstruct a free view of the water level inthe internal tube. If such tube should become accidentally broken thisglass shield is sufficiently strong to withstand the impact of theflying pieces of glass,

the shield acting to protect the fireman and engineer from injury. Theshield also protects the tube from external drafts and assists inpreventing radiation of the boiler heat from the tube.

This invention while illustrated in connection with one particularembodiment thereof is nevertheless susceptible of a considerable varietyof embodiments, and for that reason it is not limited or restricted tothe precise and exact structural features 0 out departure from the heartof this invention and without the sacrifice of any sub stantialbenefits.

We claim:

1. In a boiler water glass shield, the combination of a transparentprotector adapted to partially surround a water glass, a plurality oflaterally projecting spring clips adapted to detachably maintain theshield in protecting position over the water glass, and means foradjustably securing said shield to said spring clips, whereby the shieldmay be angularly adjusted relatively to said clips and retain the samerelative position with relation to the water glass, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a boiler water glass shield, the combination of a transparentprotector adapted to partially surround a water glass, nuts for saidwater glass, a plurality of clips adapted to engage the water glassnuts, and to detachably maintain the shield in protecting position overthe said water glass, and means for adjustably securing the clips tosaid shield whereby the shield may be ad justed relatively to the nutsto bring it into proper angular relation with the water glass, theshield maintaining the same distance from the water glass in anyadjusted position, substantially as described.

3. A water glass shield comprising the combination of a hollow glassmember open at one side for application to the water glass, nuts forsaid water glass, a head at each end of the shield, an outwardlyextended external flange on each head, and a curved leaf spring clipadjustably attached to each of said flanges and bearing on the ends ofthe same, said clips connecting with the nuts of the water glass, theadjustable attachment of said clips to said flanges permitting rotationof said shield to a desired position while maintaining the shield at aconstant distance from said water glass, substantially as described.

4. A water glass shield comprising a semi-tubular shield member, a waterglass having stuffing boxes therefor, terminal heads having semi-tubularupright flanges to embrace said stuffing boxes and permit rotation ofthe shield about the glass, the lower head having an internalsubstantially horizontal shoulder to rest upon the lower stufling box ofthe water glass, and means to hold the heads upon the stufling boxes andpermit adjustable rotation of the shield about its longitudinal axis andupon said holding means, substantially as described.

5. A water glass shield comprising-a semitubular member, a Water glasshaving stufi'- ing boxes therefor, terminal heads having semi-tubularupright flanges to embrace said stufling boxes and permit rotation ofthe shield about the glass, the lower head having an internalsubstantially horizontal shoulder to rest on the lower stuffing box ofthe wvater glass, substantially U-shaped spring clips embracing therespective flanges With their free ends projecting beyond the ends ofthe flanges to embrace the stuffing boxes and retain the shield inplace, and a connection between each spring and the adjacent flange topermit rotatable adjustment of the shield about its longitudinal axisand upon the spring clips, substantially as described.

6. A water glass shield comprisin a semitubular shield member, means toold the shield upon a water glass, and an adjustable connection betweenthe shield and holding means to permit adjustable rotation of the shieldon said holding means and about the axis of the water glass,substantially as described.

GEORGE H. SARGENT. ARTHUR G. HOLLINGSHEAD. Witnesses:

WALTER M. FULLER, M. A. KIDDIE.

